The city.
The phrase "the city" is quite vague in the grand scheme of things.
With six cities in existence, especially when discussing two simultaneously, it was important to distinguish between them.
In this world, the six strongholds of humanity, the cities, separated by forests and jungles, all go by differencing names, or titles.
One such basin of humanity was known as the Paradisical City.
The Paradisical City is overseen by a powerful Human Martial from an ancient country once called India.
She is incredibly strong, embodying the overwhelming power expected of a Human Martial, yet her power is not just overwhelming, but incomprehensible.
This city is unique and markedly different from the others, as suggested by its name, "Paradisical."
However, our focus now lies just outside its walls.
Surrounding the Paradisical City is the Beast-Slaying Mashes.
Beast-Slaying Mashes...
Each forest surrounding the six cities is vast, teeming with various predators and prey.
Among these creatures, the Mirage Deer is a unique and rare species. From birth, a Mirage Deer is comparable to a Beast General.
For context, just as humans have "worlds" to signify different levels of strength, beasts are ranked in realms: Beast Soldier, Beast Commander, and the third realm, Beast General.
Such beasts are on par with third-world humans and, in extreme cases, possibly even fourth-world humans. As a Mirage Deer matures, its strength also increases.
Currently, in the Beast-Slaying Mashes, a gentle river glistened under the moonlight, where a Mirage Deer had sprawled on the bank, sipping on the river water.
A peculiar white mist escaped its body, painting an air of mystery under the moonlight.
This creature was over twelve meters long as just its lying body was about four meters tall.
Even with its large size, the mist made it appear surreal, and difficult to perceive. Mirage Deer were like this... quite adept at hiding in plain sight and at escape.
Despite their inherent strength and mystical abilities, Mirage Deer rarely engage in fatal battles and are among the few pacifistic monsters in this world.
However, being powerful does not make them invincible. Likewise, being a pacifist does not grant immunity to conflict or death.
As a monster grows stronger, its instincts sharpen.
So when the moonlight illuminating the red night sky suddenly vanished, swallowed by darkness, this alert Beast General raised its head to the sky.
Its antlers shimmered with multicolored specks, and its rainbow-hued eyes scanned the surroundings.
The Mirage Deer stood and leaped across the river, effortlessly covering the sixty-meter distance separating one side of the river from the next.
Upon landing, its form split into three, each darting toward different parts of the jungle.
As it did so, its original body remained in place, finally standing on all fours, turning away from the river to dash in the opposite direction of its other forms.
Once again, it split into three as it fled into the forest.
Aaaah-oo! Aaaah-oo!
These sounds originated from the night skies, echoing through the lands, and alerting other creatures in the forest.
One of the Mirage Deer maneuvered through the towering jungle trees, some over forty meters high, with trunks varying from the size of an average human to those with a circumference of more than ten meters.
The Mirage Deer lunged forward, horns first, into an imposing tree!
There was no explosive sound, no booms that signaled at some collision, instead, the Mirage Deer phased right through it.
But just then...
Eee! Eee! Eee!
From the crimson sky descended dozens, even hundreds, of fiery red eyes.
They were so small that one pair might go unnoticed from afar, yet the sheer number of eyes made them conspicuous and spine-chilling.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The earth trembled as countless diminutive creatures assaulted the Mirage Deer, and yet, they were unable to land any attacks, crashing through it before colliding into the earth underneath.
Where they crashed, they left small craters in their wake.
Ha! Ha! Ha!
While the creatures pursued the Mirage Deer, those that had crashed into the earth, forming small craters, cackled madly whilst emerging from the craters they had created.
Each had a single black wing, twice the length of their bodies, paired with vermillion horns and eyes, dark yellow fur, and jagged teeth.
This was a one-winged monkey!
The one-winged monkey horde was among the most dreaded monster groups in the Beast-Slaying Mashes.
Usually, they remained within a designated territory, but some reason, today they moved around creating utter chaos before crossing paths with the Mirage Deer and fixating their cruel gaze on it.
This horde, numbering in the thousands, split into six groups, each targeting a different Mirage Deer as chaos erupted across the Beast-Slaying Mashes.
As time passed, loud explosions echoed through the vast expanse, stretching over several kilometers before silence finally fell.
In this silence, a deep, mournful wail filled the air.
The Mirage Deer had lost its sixth form, reverting to its true self.
Exhausted and battered by chaotic magical attacks, its once-majestic appearance had been reduced to a pitiful state.
Aaaah-oo! Aaaah-oo!
The Mirage Deer's movements grew sluggish, yet it continued to press on.
Surrounded by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of one-winged monkeys, they did not attack; instead, they cackled in celebration of the Mirage Deer's despair.
The mist that once enveloped its body had vanished, and its silvery-white fur was stained with its own blood.
Chunks of flesh were charred, exposing bone, while blood poured from its wounds. Despite its injuries, it staggered forward in a futile struggle against death.
Eventually, its legs buckled, and it collapsed with a thunderous thud.
The monkeys' cheers intensified as they leaped onto the Mirage Deer, clawing and biting, spilling more blood and staining their fur crimson.
Even monsters possess a degree of intelligence.
In its final moments, the Mirage Deer's eyes glistened with tears as it let out a weak, despairing groan.
Beneath its fur, its muscles twitched and spasmed as it closed its eyes for the last time.
Shortly after its death, the monkey horde howled and screeched, mocking its final cries. Then, their black wings fluttered as they ascended into the red night sky.
As previously mentioned, one-winged monkeys typically remain within their territory.
However, this horde now ventured deeper into the night sky, heading toward the borders of the Beast-Slaying Mashes.
In that direction lay another forest, one that surrounded the Core City.
Each city is unique.
The city lord of the Core City, the supreme commander, oversees this stronghold, largest of the six cities—no other city is even half its size.
With thirty-six districts, no other boasts even ten.
Surrounding the Core City is the Blood-Drip Jungle.
Blood-Drip Jungle...
More than just a drip like what its name implies; more accurately, a river of blood will soon flow through the Blood-Drip Jungle.
With ties linking it strongly with the military academy, naturally, for a certain someone, a calamity is on the horizon...